Middleton High School is proud to announce that two seniors – Sarah Blust and Asha Chakravartula – have been named college-sponsored and corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners. They were among Middleton High School’s 19 Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Blust and Chakravartula were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. Each state’s winners were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
“Sarah and Asha are incredibly strong students inside and out of the classroom, and it’s wonderful to see them earn national recognition with these scholarships,” said Middleton High School Principal Bobbie Reinhart “We’re excited to see what’s next for them as they prepare for their post-high school academic journeys. We’re confident they’ll continue to excel in college and beyond.”
Blust earned a National Merit University of Miami Scholarship, and Chakravartula earned a National Merit Sentry Insurance Foundation Associate Dependent Scholarship.
Scholarship winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation conducts this annual academic competition to honor the nation's scholastic talent and encourage students to develop their abilities to the fullest.
Blust and Chakravartula’s Merit Scholarships are in addition to the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners – Maggie Kirker, Michelle Lee and Kriti Mitra – announced earlier this year.
Congratulations to all of Middleton High School’s Merit Scholarship winners on their amazing accomplishments!